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What I read says VPA calls automatically PVCR.exe, but I don't know how to make it work... nay suggestion? Many thanks in advance!

What I read says VPA calls automatically PVCR.exe, but I don't know how to make it work... nay suggestion? Many thanks in advance!

Download PVCR from here and put pvcr.exe in the root vpa folder then press 'V' key to play a battle in VPA. But for me the latest pvcr version sometimes shows wrong results so I use playvcr (a standalone vcr viewer) from PCC2 package. Playvcr can be also used as a battle simulator so I recommend it.

Thank you! I'll try this!

But for me the latest pvcr version sometimes shows wrong results

This would be a very serious bug, normally PVCR should define what is correct (it is built from the same source as PHost). If you have a situation where this fails, I'd be interested.

--Stefan

Vchc in Re: How to see PHOST battles...:

But for me the latest pvcr version sometimes shows wrong results

This would be a very serious bug, normally PVCR should define what is correct (it is built from the same source as PHost). If you have a situation where this fails, I'd be interested.

I'm not sure that this is a problem caused by pvcr.
A few years ago, when I used the same version pvcr (PVCR 4.0k(2)) which was launched under Windows XP (x86) everything was fine.
But now, when I use DosBox, pvcr sometimes shows wrong results (e.g. value of a shield or value of damage can take negative values or values may be equal to several thousand or [NaN]).
This is also observed in old games if I run them under DosBox.

streu in Re: How to see PHOST battles...:

Vchc in Re: How to see PHOST battles...:

But for me the latest pvcr version sometimes shows wrong results

This would be a very serious bug, normally PVCR should define what is correct (it is built from the same source as PHost). If you have a situation where this fails, I'd be interested.

I'm not sure that this is a problem caused by pvcr.
A few years ago, when I used the same version pvcr (PVCR 4.0k(2)) which was launched under Windows XP (x86) everything was fine.
But now, when I use DosBox, pvcr sometimes shows wrong results (e.g. value of a shield or value of damage can take negative values or values may be equal to several thousand or [NaN]).
This is also observed in old games if I run them under DosBox.

I've spent some time doing investigation on this matter and found out that it is a bug in VPA. I use the latest version of VPA (3.71c) from https://sourceforge.net/projects/vpa/

Screenshot

PVCR in standalone mode (without VPA) works just fine.

Yep it keeps failing, it returns a message like "Can't run pvcr.exe. DOS error 8" (or something like that.

Yep it keeps failing, it returns a message like "Can't run pvcr.exe. DOS error 8" (or something like that.

DOS Error Codes:

... 08 Insufficient memory

Please post here the result of the "mem" command run in dosbox.

I am using a real DOS system (no DosBox),a DOS that starts and runs from an USB where I got all setup with the games and such.... I haven't tried yet to run pvcr standalone, I'll do it tonight..

Hi,

I am using a real DOS system (no DosBox)

I know that the latetst VPA has some serious problems with memory in real DOS environments. Mostly because I coded and tested within DOSbox only.

If you have still problems with it I can try to stick my head in the code.

Quapla

Well yes, I still can't see the battles, nor running vpcr standalone, which in my case hinders a lot the experience. Unfortunately since the closing of circusmaximus I can't find any host to play Timhost

Ok, you can try VPAMM.EXE - within protected mode you can have more memory. You can also try to give more free memeory using EMM Boot settings.

Although it might not be suitable to recommend different sites here, you can give Matthias' High Command at http://www.locrysound.com/high_command/high_command.htm a try.

Running VPA is not a problem (in fact I need to use VPAMM), the problem is see Phost battles with VPA, I simply don't manage......

Ok, you can try VPAMM.EXE - within protected mode you can have more memory. You can also try to give more free memeory using EMM Boot settings.

VPA.EXE also runs in protected mode, so memory for VPA is not an issue. It's just that some graphics cards / mice work better with one version, others work better with the other one.

However, VPAMM.EXE will leave less memory for PVCR, so maybe that's an issue. (The difference between both is that VPAMM will load all code into conventional memory whereas VPA will load it into high memory, which is precisely what makes the difference for graphics and mice.) I still don't see how that could lead to VCRs played wrong, though.

Footnote: avoiding the technical complications of shelling out to a VCR program was the driving force behind me (reverse-engineering and) implementing VCR algorithms within PCC .

--Stefan

However, VPAMM.EXE will leave less memory for PVCR, so maybe that's an issue. (The difference between both is that VPAMM will load all code into conventional memory whereas VPA will load it into high memory, which is precisely what makes the difference for graphics and mice.) I still don't see how that could lead to VCRs played wrong, though.

With V3.75 VPAMM.EXE is again available.